Red Cross faces gay blood ban complaint

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The Red Cross Blood Service will be forced to defend its
donor-screening policies in the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination
Commission.

The commission today announced a landmark decision to
investigate the service following a Tasmanian man's claim he had
been discriminated against because he is gay.

It's the first time the Red Cross has ever publicly defended its
ban on gay male blood donors.

Michael Cain, of Launceston in the state's north, launched legal
challenges with the anti-discrimination commission and the
Australian Human Rights Commission last month after he was told the
blood service did not accept donations from men who have had
male-to-male sex in the past year.

The 22-year-old said the Red Cross nurse had told him "you
people" - referring to gay men - had a higher risk of blood
contamination because of unsafe sex practices.

But Mr Cain believes the policy, which Red Cross deems in line
with world standards, is discriminatory and unnecessary.

"I know that I have safe sex ... it almost felt like I was being
accused of being a dirty person," he said.

"Unsafe sex should be what the Red Cross screens potential
donors for, not gay sex," he said.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman Rodney Croome
said it would be difficult for the Red Cross to mount a defence for
the ban following lifting of similar policies in Spain, Switzerland
and Italy.